Chapter 16 Located
~Kael's POV~
We arrived at Blandland and headed straight for the cave where Xavier lived. The path narrowed as we approached, and the cave itself was framed by enormous stones that rose like ancient guardians. They looked as if they had been hurled from the heavens with their pointed ends driven into the earth, forming a jagged circle around the entrance.
The moment we reached the mouth of the cave, a man stepped outside. He carried a single arrow in his grip, held with steady intention. From the description Kaitlyn had given earlier, I recognized him immediately. He was exactly the person we had come to find.
“Xavier,” I said, calling his name. The frown already carved deeply across his face darkened, sharpening into something far more hostile.
“What do you want?” he asked, and I instantly suspected that he knew exactly who I was. “Have you not done enough? You chased us from our towns and villages. Now you want to drive us out of the caves as well?”
That confirmed it. He definitely knew me.
“Relax. I bear no ill intentions toward you,” I tried, attempting to soften the tension in the air.
He did not budge, not even a fraction.
“Says the one who does not have a single good deed to his name,” he shot back, his disdain dripping from every word.
“Xavier,” Kaitlyn called gently from behind me as she stepped forward.
The moment he saw her clearly, the disappointment that washed over his features was far more painful than his anger.
“What is the meaning of this, Kaitlyn? I trusted you, and you turn around and do this to me?” he asked, his voice trembling with betrayal and hurt that ran deep.
“Please just listen to us, Xavier. We come in peace,” Kaitlyn pleaded. But he looked at her as if she had spoken complete madness.
“In peace? With the devil? Tell me when the devil has ever come in peace.”
For a moment, I almost laughed. That was the second time someone had called me a devil. So Lyra had not been exaggerating. People truly referred to me that way. Was I really that evil?
I did not have the chance to answer that thought. My mind drifted instantly to Lyra. Was she safe? Had they harmed her? I still did not know the full details of the prophecy, so I could not tell what exactly they wanted from her or what danger she faced now.
Thinking about her only fueled my impatience and stoked the fire of my anger. Even so, I forced myself to let Kaitlyn speak first. She stood a better chance of convincing him.
“Please, Xavier. We are here because we need your help. We need to find someone, and I know you are the only one I can trust to get the job done,” Kaitlyn said.
“I do not offer my services to werewolves. Leave my home if you truly came in peace,” he replied, unmoved and unshaken.
“We are willing to pay generously for your services. This is extremely important and urgent. Just name your price. Anything,” I said, stepping in.
Disgust swiftly twisted his expression.
“You do not have anything that could pay me, and I do not want anything from you. Leave my premises and leave me alone.” He turned sharply and began walking back toward the cave.
“Elder Rowan,” I called through mindlink. He responded immediately, stepping out of the car with Amelia. The moment the girl saw her father, she tried to speak, but her voice was muffled beneath the tape covering her mouth.
Even so, Xavier recognized the sound. He froze, then spun around with frantic eyes that expanded wide when they landed on her.
“Amelia? Why do you have my daughter? What have you done to her?” His voice cracked with fear and rage.
“I have not done anything to her, and I will not do anything to her if you cooperate with us,” I said, keeping my tone as calm as possible despite the urgency tearing through me.
“Who do you want to find?” he asked after a heavy moment of contemplation.
“A witch,” I said.
His expression shifted instantly. Kaitlyn had been right. Helping us find one of his own was a violation of everything he stood for, but I hoped that he valued his daughter more than his loyalties.
“You expect me to assist you in finding a witch?” he asked. No one answered. Silence pressed thickly between us until he finally spoke again. “Why are you looking for this witch?”
“She is a very important member of Ironfang, and she was abducted by people who could harm her,” I said.
He did not believe me, and he did not pretend to.
“If you must lie to me, at least come up with a better lie.” He looked from me to Kaitlyn, then to Dagan and the others before saying, “Fine. I will help you.”
Relief washed over me internally, though I kept my expression composed.
“Do you have something that belongs to the witch?” he asked.
“Yes. We have her clothes,” Taren said.
“Wait for me here,” Xavier responded. He turned and disappeared into the darkness of the cave. When he returned, he carried several candles, jars, small bottles, a folded map, and other items that I could not identify.
He held out his hand, and Taren placed Lyra’s clothes into his grip.
“These belong to a basic witch,” Xavier said after feeling the fabric. “In what way is she important to Ironfang?” he asked.
“Just do your job,” I snapped, fed up with the questions.
Fortunately, he did not argue. He set his tools on the ground, placed the clothes in the center, and lit the candles. Then he began to chant in a language none of us recognized. The air seemed to shift as the ritual deepened, a low hum vibrating faintly through the ground.
After a long moment, he opened his eyes.
“I cannot find her. A powerful spell is blocking me from locating her position,” he announced.
I was about to unleash my frustration, but Kaitlyn spoke before I could.
“Can you bypass it?”
“I can, but the ritual requires blood. The blood of someone related to her,” Xavier said.
“There is nobody related to her here,” I told him.
“Or the blood of someone who cares about her,” he offered.
Silence fell. No one moved.
Then I stepped forward.
“Take mine,” I said, extending my hand.
“Use mine,” Taren said at the same moment, extending his.
Xavier looked between the two of us and shook his head.
“You are immune to magic. Your blood is useless to me,” he said to me. Without pausing, he turned to Taren. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” Taren replied without hesitation.
“You need to know that once the ritual is completed, you will be paralyzed for six hours,” Xavier warned.
“What?” I, Taren, and Dagan exclaimed together, shocked.
“Should I proceed or not?” Xavier asked calmly.
“Will I recover fully after the six hours?” Taren asked.
“Yes.”
“Then go ahead,” Taren said.
His blood was drawn, and the ritual resumed.
Xavier continued chanting. The air pulsed with growing intensity. True to Xavier’s words, Taren suddenly collapsed as the ritual reached its peak. I caught him before his body hit the ground.
Xavier did not stop. He paid no attention to our struggle. He remained focused entirely on his work.
Finally, he opened his eyes.
“She is at the center of Hella Pinegrove Forest,” he announced.